Does anyone have any infromation regading the ABeka Academy, in terms of wheather it's a good alternative for home education. It offers classes via DVD in all subject areas from K-12. Or is anyone familiar with a system similar to it that they can suggest?

For what age of children? I really don't have anything useful to say. I don't use Abeka, I use TWTM/ classical approach but if people have experience with AA it would help to know the ages of your kids. Are you thinking of using one class or the full program?

There a few people on here using Abeka DVD i think, i don't think they are as vocal as those of us using the BJU Distance Learning products (if you read "Homesat" - it's the same material, just came on a satellite feed instead of on DVD)

It really depends on the child. My sister used A Beka Academy DVD's from 2nd-12th grade and loved them. Her daughter received a very good education. I tried them with my daughter and sent them all back after 2 weeks. My DD is gifted, she moves very quickly through material and the videos really slowed her down. We found them repetitive (teacher continually reviewing the previous material) and waiting for the other students in the "classroom" to pass around the microphone to answer questions was annoying.

I like many of A Beka's books (excellent science and elementary math and many people like their language arts). But I would never consider their DVD program again.

That said, I'm strongly considering BJU DVD for high school science and foreign language. I prefer the format of BJU DVD. I understand the high school science and language have satellite students via phone participating in the class, but it's pretty minimal. And the elementary classes have no outside student participation so the teacher is speaking directly to your child.

Sorry to be down on A Beka DVD's - the content is solid, but the classroom style of the DVD's did not work for us. If your child needs a lot of repetition and works at a normal or slower pace than they might be fine for you.

I have a gf who has used Abeka dvds for 2 years now and will use them again next year. Her dc are 1st-5th. She loves them and raves about how wonderful they are and how much her dc are learning. So, I would say it is a good fit for her. She did like what she saw of BJU better, but she said their payment options were not a good fit for her. So, financially they chose Abeka. They also chose Abeka because she couldnt teach anymore due to health issue. She needed a dvd program - not just wanted/was interested in the concept - she NEEDED it in order to continue.

I would say, a lot depends on learning style and reason. Do you have to do dvd for various reasons? Are your dc independent learners? Would they enjoy and thrive with a dvd style? Do they prefer workbook/text format? Is this a temporary change or a permanent one? Just some ideas to consider.

I believe you can use the DVDs without enrolling in the Academy. Of the people who use ABeka materials, it seems that the ones who enroll in the Academy are the ones most likely to burn out before the end of the school year. This was true, BTW, even before the advent of VCR/DVD courses.

We used the 11th grade Eglish video (before DVDs) and thought it wasn't too bad.